Details have emerged on the passing of veteran journalist Mr. Jide Ogundele, whose death in Osogbo, Osun State, has continued to draw tributes from media colleagues and associates.
Ogundele, a respected financial journalist, was a former Business Editor of The Guardian newspaper and later served as Associate Editor of The Comet.
He had also worked with the First Bank of Nigeria before he retired into farming.
He was reported to have collapsed within the premises of his residence in Osogbo some weeks ago, reportedly near the gate of his house, possibly while attempting to open or secure it after returning home.
Living alone at the time, he was unable to receive immediate assistance.
Neighbours reportedly became aware of the incident by the following afternoon and gained access to the house, where Ogundele was found unresponsive. He was rushed to a hospital and placed on intensive care, where he remained in a coma for over a month before he eventually passed away.
He is fondly remembered within Nigeria’s media community for his professionalism, intellect and dedication to the craft.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family in due course.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
